‘Pakistanis rely more on Indian doctors’

[Justin Joseph]

Medical tourism market to reach Rs 44 billion mark in India by 2012

New Delhi : Despite the economic slowdown and safety concerns arising from the Mumbai terrorist attacks which resulted into the overall decline in foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) to India at 5.16 million in 2009 from 5.36 million in 2008, the medical tourism market in the country is expected to reach Rs 44 billion mark with India enjoying a 25 per cent share in inbound medical tourism in Asia by 2012.

As per the FICCI-Evalueserve study the number of medical tourists in India is expected to reach one million by 2012, with country's share in the global medical tourism industry reaching 2.4 per cent.

The factors which continue to propel growth in the medical tourism segment are low-cost and vast range of healthcare facilities and availability of traditional therapies in the country.

It says that all medical procedures including hospitalisation and recovery costs are relatively low in India as compared to Europe and America. For example a heart bypass surgery costs 6,000 dollars in India, whereas the same costs up to 19,700 dollars in the US.

Moreover, patients covered by medical insurance in regions such as Europe and America have to wait a long time before they can undergo treatment in their country as compared to India.

Furthermore, state governments encourage international tourists by leveraging the traditional wellness systems of India. Various healthcare traditions practised in the country include Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, homeopathy, naturopathy and yoga.

Ayurveda is quite popular in Kerala. The Kerala government has also participated in various tradeshows and expos to highlight the advantages of Ayurveda in health management.

Similarly, the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have made attempts to promote spiritual tourism and yoga, respectively.

According to the data available in 2007, 450,000 inbound patients were treated in India.

Singapore and Malaysia are the countries competing with India in this segment, the study said.

The number of patient arrivals from the US, the UK and Europe has increased in India, apart from the usual inbound patients from neighbouring countries and West Asia.

However, the current market for Indian medical tourism is predominantly limited to patients from the West Asia and South Asian economies but there is an immense potential to cater to African patients as well.

It is estimated that Afro-Asians spend up to 20 billion dollars per annum on healthcare outside their countries.

The West Asia region is an important market for India's medical tourism industry.

Though the West is the traditional medical tourism destination for citizens in the West Asia, the trend saw change after the 2001 terror attacks in the US.

Moreover, campaigns such as Incredible India have changed the perceptions towards the country and helped in promoting it as a cost effective and reliable medical tourism destination.

Though, the marketing of medical value tourism is a relatively new concept in the country, India already has world-class hospitals and treatment centres. In 2009, there were over 3,000 hospitals and 7,26,000 registered practitioners in the country.

The study points out that Wellness tourism a sub-set of medical tourism, comprises Ayurveda treatment, spa therapy, yoga and meditation. A niche segment, it draws high-end inbound tourists.

Ayurveda draws medical tourists from countries like the US, Canada, South America, the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands and even countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea and Japan.

Visitors can choose between Ayurveda treatments or a combined package of Ayurveda, Yoga and meditation.

Kerala is the most popular wellness destination in India, but other states are also emerging in this segment.

There is a huge demand for wellness treatments, especially Ayurvedic and herbal Ayurveda, as the effects are long term and the treatments are safe. Panchakarma, detoxification, rejuvenation, stress management and weight loss programmes are most popular among inbound tourists.

Delhi, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu and Kerala lead the list of medical tourism destinations for medical tourism in India, the study said.

Medical tourism market to reach Rs 44 bln mark in India by 2012

 

[Justin Joseph]

Apollo Hospitals to link India and Pakistan through telemedicine

Ms. Tiwari stated that this link is an excellent opportunity and will go a long way in improving relations between both the countries. She assured the best effort to facilitate faster processing of travel documents for patients going to India.

Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, stated that this telemedicine link can bring together the medical community and people of the two countries. He said people of Pakistan and Lahore could now have easy access to specialists and super specialists without traveling to India. Apart from consultation this telemedicine link will facilitate exchange of reports between Lahore and Apollo Hospitals in India, aid in seeking second opinion and enhance knowledge of the medical community in both the countries through Continuous Medical Education and interaction programmes. He explained that Lahore centre would be the hub around which other centres in Pakistan will be connected. On this occasion he appealed for faster processing of travel documents, especially for patients coming to India, since they need earliest medical attention.

Specialists at Apollo Hospitals, Delhi provided consultation to patients at Lahore. The entire programme was telecast on-line between Lahore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi. The telemedicine link has been launched in a move to facilitate exchange of medicare and health facilities at reduced cost in South Asian countries.

The Delhi-Lahore telemedicine link will enable medical practitioners in Pakistan to access expert advice from specialists at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. It will also enable the transfer of opinion and interpretation of complex medical cases, apart from assisting the local doctors in utilising the facility for Continuing Medical Education (CME).

"It is a small but the first step between the two countries and together both of us can offer the very best in medicare and health facilities by pooling in our resources", stated Dr. Reddy. Aiming to expand quality health care to rural areas, the telemedicine link in Lahore will also refer questions from Faislabad and Karachi to the Delhi centre.

"The telemedicine link would help in easing the visa restrictions between the two countries", stated Ms. Swapna Tiwari. Co-operation in the medical and health arena will go a long way in laying the foundation for a lasting bond, according to Ms. Tiwari.

 

[Peregrine]

Hi
India offers comparatively cheap treatment as compared to other countries, Sadly the profession of medical has become more of a business, so a person should always do a business from where one gets a good deal.

 

[Justin Joseph]

Hi
India offers comparatively cheap treatment as compared to other countries, Sadly the profession of medical has become more of a business, so a person should always do a business from where one gets a good deal.

The real reason is India offers World class treatment in affordable cost.

It is beneficial for India as we get dollars, reputation, and our people benefits from the top quality of treatment and medical infrastructure available in India.

 

[RiazHaq]

The issue is not about the quality of doctors or infrastructure, Pakistani doctors are equally good if not better than indian doctors. The problem lies with Government of Pakistan. They have failed to invest in the health sector due to their corruption and lack of vision and provide attractive salary packages and schemes to the local talent, hence the "cream" moves abroad for better offers.

Apollo is not run by government. It's a chain of expensive, for profit, private hospitals that very very few Indians can afford. They attract foreigners who can pay the big bills.

The doctors who work in these hospitals are mostly foreign-trained, not India trained.

 

[Peregrine]

when u go for shopping, buy 2 fresh human kidneys for me too

Hi
Is their anything wrong with your kidney's? . My cousins who live abroad they always get Kidney issues one of them had to to come to Pakistan to get his kidney replaced.

 

[Justin Joseph]

Apollo is not run by government. It's a chain of expensive, for profit, private hospitals that very very few Indians can afford. They attract foreigners who can pay the big bills.

The doctors who work in these hospitals are mostly foreign-trained, not India trained.

Even if one believe u on that this goes on prove that the Doctor gets good pay in India than west.

Is this what u wanna say??

Because a foreign trained doctor will easily gets a foreign work permits or citizenship in that particular country and can live and earn there.

Why a USA trained doctor wanna work in India under low pay??

When he can work in USA.

 

[Iron_Eagle_17]

This is less to do with the doctors or medical facilities of Inida rather than the cheap treatment available.
I for a fact know dozens who went to India and found cheap SURROGATE mothers.
Commercial surrogacy in India - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I also know people who have been to karachi Jinnah hospital for cheap cosmetic surgeries. That does not means that this service is not provided in UK but the fact that it is cheaper makes patients to seek medical treatment from other countries where its cheaper.

 

[Justin Joseph]

This is less to do with the doctors or medical facilities of Inida rather than the cheap treatment available.
I for a fact know dozens who went to India and found cheap SURROGATE mothers.
Commercial surrogacy in India - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I also know people who have been to karachi Jinnah hospital for cheap cosmetic surgeries. That does not means that this service is not provided in UK but the fact that it is cheaper makes patients to seek medical treatment from other countries where its cheaper.

So u wanna say people just wanna die, so they just go anywhere they get death at cheapest rates?????

before posting troll try to understand the real meaning of your troll.

I repeat, India offers world class treatment at affordable cost, that's the only reason.

Nobody goes to china for treatment.

 

[Justin Joseph]

AIIMS Performs First Robotic Surgery in Asia - In News - Express Healthcare Management

AIIMS robot performs rare cancer surgery

AIIMS performs India’s ‘first’ robotic chest surgery

http://www.india-server.com/news/first-robotic-surgery-to-remove-tumour-1186.html

http://www.dancewithshadows.com/society/robotic-cardiac-surgery-hyderabad.asp

http://www.medicalvideos.us/videos-...reatment-surgeons-of-Mumbai-Delhi-and-Chennai

http://www.bcbs.com/news/national/f...vings-on-health-care-in-hospitals-abroad.html

 

[SekrutYakhni]

Okay, I will tell you a realistic and honest story. It can happen anywhere but the self praising Indian doctors should think again.

My aunt's mother had a liver transplantation in India during Mumbai tension. Her son donated a part of his liver but the operation failed and she died. The story did not end here...The guy had an infection because of the stitches...
He is still suffering...
They spent a lot of money to get her mother back on track...

Overall, the hospitality was amazing but the patient died.

 

[Awesome]

The typical Indian glorification aside and cheapening of the goodwill act by the inappropriate title, it is good to know the doctor profession still believes in their old saying "Primum Non nocere", "At first, Do no harm".

You silly people can play one upmanship, but this is a serious matter.

 

[Justin Joseph]

Okay, I will tell you a realistic and honest story. It can happen anywhere but the self praising Indian doctors should think again.

My aunt's mother had a liver transplantation in India during Mumbai tension. Her son donated a part of his liver but the operation failed and she died. The story did not end here...The guy had an infection because of the stitches...
He is still suffering...
They spent a lot of money to get her mother back on track...

Overall, the hospitality was amazing but the patient died.

any proof????????

This is not the reality, we are not talking about 3rd world countries people from developed countries like USA, UK etc. also visits India for treatment.

As they get treatment equivalent to their own countries in affordable cost.

So the quality is the thing that matters than cost.

 

[luffy]

Okay, I will tell you a realistic and honest story. It can happen anywhere but the self praising Indian doctors should think again.

My aunt's mother had a liver transplantation in India during Mumbai tension. Her son donated a part of his liver but the operation failed and she died. The story did not end here...The guy had an infection because of the stitches...
He is still suffering...
They spent a lot of money to get her mother back on track...

Overall, the hospitality was amazing but the patient died.

Which hospital was that?

 

[RobbieS]

Good to know that Pakistani patients come to India regularly for treatments. India is fast becoming a destination for quality healthcare facilities at a fraction of western costs. My friend who works in a privately run hospital in Delhi says that apart from South Asia, many people from African and Eastern European nations visit Indian hospitals for treatments.

But a sad fact is that all these hospitals are private and run purely as business concerns. Our public healthcare systems are in shambles and most Indians depend on it. I wish GoI or private players could find a way to improve rural healthcare system as well.